


Here To Help

by Kajune



Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Chatting & Messaging, Forgiveness, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Canonical Character(s), One Shot, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-17
Updated: 2015-08-17
Packaged: 2018-04-15 05:03:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4593858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kajune/pseuds/Kajune
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a confrontation between Kadota and Izaya ends sourly, the informant does everything he can to be forgiven. Unfortunately, their restored friendship gives certain people an idea far from the truth, yet they are persistent. What must Izaya do, who can help him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Here To Help

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PendulumDeath](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PendulumDeath/gifts).



Listening to the heavy rain as it soaks the streets far below his office floor, Izaya is once again recalling a very recent incident that at this point still has him lamenting on his past sins. Never before has he been driven to think of his less moral actions in any way other than with a sense of glee and occasionally with a wicked laugh.

Today, the mere thought of adding to his list of sins feels sickening, makes him want to keep his laptop - which is full of personally and also illegally obtained information - turned off. This contradicts his usual behavior, and had he called his secretary in today, he would have been sitting through hours and hours of constant remarks on how he's miraculously changed or seems awfully solemn.

This is probably true. The great, Orihara Izaya isn't behaving like himself, and all because of a single moment in his 25 years of living. With his eyes gazing at nothing in particular, Izaya's thoughts take him back to yesterday, when such gloomy rain first made itself known.

* * *

  _...Flashback..._

* * *

"Have you located him yet then?" Shiki's stern voice asks through the phone.

"Yes, yes, I have. He is with a certain person I know very well." Izaya chirps as he stares at the brightly-lit computer screen. On it, there is a security camera footage showing a runaway Awakusu executive getting invited into a van.

"Do have him sent back to us as soon as possible." Following this, the line is cut.

Since Izaya refused to disclose the actual location of this man, Shiki has left the delivery of either his head or a limb to him personally. A task not considered hard by the extremely resourceful and too cunning for Shiki's liking informant, Izaya is thus wearing a wide grin on his face.

The footage is about half an hour old, but since he knows about the van gang's nature and procedure in housing and protecting in-danger individuals, he's certain it won't be until a few hours later when they've managed to provide this sneaky, cheating executive a place to stay. It is also obvious that they aren't going to be told why he's running, and whose money he just took.

Even if the four figure it out, Izaya is positive on getting his hands on the man before they decide he's too dangerous to keep.

* * *

"Hey, Akira-san, do you like reading Shojo manga?"

The man who claims to go by the name "Akira", is tightly clutching onto a small, black briefcase as he sits between two individuals, the one to his left being a young woman dressed in all black, who has suddenly asked him an unusual question. It's crystal clear he is panicking, the sweat soaking even his gray-ish suit being good proof of that. None of the four are going to ask him more personal stuff, not unless they feel his secretive nature is a threat to their existences.

Right now, they just want to give him a nice shelter, if not calm him down.

Kadota in particular, who feels the lack of good deeds on his part has brought about malicious luck. His phone, by mysterious means, stopped working. Now he can't contact his employers until he has the money to buy a new one. The reason he doesn't have any money, is because some petty thief found it interesting to break into their van a week ago and steal everyone's bags.

It's common knowledge to keep one's money on one's person, but after Walker lost his while pursuing another thief (who had taken an old lady's purse), they figured leaving their important stuff inside the van was more safe.

Without question, this was proven to be a mistake.

Kadota is probably the only one who blames such misfortune on his sins, but all have agreed to help this guy out and despite their differential motives for doing so, it doesn't weaken their effective teamwork.

Things go smoothly for them on this sunny afternoon, until an unknown entity slams itself into them...from behind.

Togusa is beyond horrified, and when all five pair of eyes look back, they see a large lorry...about to go at them again. Togusa speeds up the van, but this saves their rear not when the lorry catches up easily, and gives them another violent shove. Things become turbulent inside when "Akira" begins screaming, his terrified state going overboard.

None of them can make out much of what he's trying to say.

A third hit and the van loses its balance. Vehicles all around try to make space and get out of the way, and once Kadota's side of the van makes a painful impact onto the road, the white lorry parks itself besides them. Seconds later, a group of masked people surround the van and start breaking in, all so they can get their hands on the defenseless Akira.

In that instant, Walker thinks to himself, that choosing to help this guy was a huge mistake.

Once Akira has been taken away, and the lorry has disappeared from sight, the four try to get back up amidst the terrible aching in most of their limbs. Kadota's head is throbbing painfully, and as he is in the middle of trying to sit up, Togusa notices too much blood pouring down from the brown-haired's head.

Kadota blacks out, moments before Togusa can alert the others.

* * *

Three hours following the crash, Kadota is wide awake on a hospital bed. He'd much prefer to be in the quick care of his former classmate Shinra, whose services he only asks for on rare occasions. Unfortunately, him passing out left his worried friends with the only option they thought would certainly bring him back as quickly as possible.

It's mostly speculation, but he knows they've never been keen on private treatments from any doctor.

He must have looked awful too, before the doctors and nurses washed off most of the blood and cleaned up all the bruises. None of the others are in here with him, strangely, and the only proof he has that they ever were in this room is a basket of flowers (plus a manga) on the table next to him.

There's a note telling him they hope he recovers soon and wakes up to say hello, and that they will be there to greet him once he does.

It warms his heart to read this, to feel himself get drowned in sweet affection. Sadly, this happiness is short-lived when suddenly, the door to his room is opened. He doesn't expect it to be his friends, and right he was to think so, for what comes in is Izaya, someone he can barely call a friend and likely best described as...his greatest source of headaches during high school.

Walking in quite majestically, with hands in his coat pockets and a smile that cries bad news, the first thing this devil says is...

"How you are holding up, Do. Ta. Chin?"

The way Izaya drawls out his annoying nickname, tells him that there's a very upsetting reason why he knows he is here. Forget his skill as an informant, there's little chance he came here out of sympathy, for never does Izaya care when someone close or far either by bond or blood, gets injured. He either caused the pain, or feels he can get something while the person is down.

He is hoping it isn't the former, again.

"What brings you here, Izaya?"

Kadota asks instead, unable to shake off this terrible feeling that the lingering soreness in his arms and legs and mainly left shoulder, are all the work of the man who can't stop smiling with great triumph on his face. It's hard not to look dead serious when such a feeling is so strong a person wants to vomit.

"Oh...I just wanted to see how it feels for you, the consequences of helping out a shady person."

His eyebrow twitches. His senses were truly right to assume Izaya was the one to cause this. Although the assault on the four of them proves that the Akira guy was a mistake, it doesn't change the fact that Izaya's way of getting him back, and punishing them for being involved, was unacceptably cruel.

He treated them, just like lab rats.

"..."

He can barely utter a word, under this intense displeasure he has towards the constant evilness Izaya keeps displaying. This obviously has no affect on Izaya though, who continues to pace the room with a look of satisfaction insultingly clear on his face.

"You should be careful who you deal with, Dota-chin. I have no interest in what lies he told you, or what fake business he said he was in, but never should a vigilante like you treat a traitor like Genji as a friend."

By a fraction, that smile widens, while Kadota's dark glare remains firm on the figure not two feet from him.

"What a shame." Izaya shakes his head in mock disapproval. "You go and wear your heart on your sleeve and let anybody take you for a fool. The next thing you know, your trust in them leads you to end up inside a hospital. It must hurt your brain to think on where you went wrong, or how mistaken you were, how foolish you-"

Not wanting to hear another ten hours of Izaya's ranting, or heart wrenching insults, Kadota says, in a quiet, but clear voice, his final words to the person _invading_ his personal space.

"Get the hell out, Izaya."

As if he was hoping for such a direct response, Izaya turns to him with an inhumanly large grin, and laughs, practically in his face.

"Hahahaha! Dota-chan, you mad at me? Hahahaha! Pathetic~!!!"

The only thing to make Izaya walk out the door without another word, is Kadota pressing the button for a nurse to come in. Said nurse arrives with genuine worry on her face, as she crosses paths with Izaya near the door. She probably can't feel, as she gently examines his wounds, the air of pure hatred left behind by the notorious former classmate.

* * *

It's very likely the weatherman is getting nasty emails for incorrectly stating the forecast earlier today, claiming there to be a 0% chance of rain. It's close to sunset by now, and very clearly dark clouds can be seen looming over the city of Ikebukuro. People are beginning to make a fast journey towards home, for hardly anyone is ready for the incoming downpour of rain.

Izaya, on the other hand, doesn't need an umbrella, and can do just fine with the thick hoodie his ankle-long coat provides. At the moment, he is looking up chats about random, small events happening in Ikebukuro and definitely under the noses of the adults now avoiding the streets.

As Izaya enters a park, his eyes glued to his I-Phone, he gets taken by total surprise when a branch nails him in the side of the head. He nearly loses his balance, but completely loses his too-weak-of-a-hold on his phone, which clatters to the ground. Brushing his head lightly where the branch struck, Izaya turns to face the source, and is surprised to see an exhausted-looking Kadota.

He nearly believed he was still wearing his hospital gown, but he supposes the man's brain wasn't bashed around hard enough for that to happen. The bandage around it is still there though.

"Dota-chin, why are you-"

His voice sounds sweet and friendly, but that doesn't stop Kadota, whose feet are glued to the pavement and whose eyes are gleaming a magically unreadable emotion, from cutting in.

"Shut up. Shut up forever. You never learn, do you?"

From the six steps keeping them apart, making sure they don't need to make a lot of noise in order to hear each other, Izaya can almost see the man before him trembling.

"People have lives, have feelings, have memories. Apparently, you do not."

Izaya attempts to object, but not a sound makes it past his lips before Kadota continues.

"Don't give me that god-nonsense Izaya. I spent nearly every class back in school listening to it." When Izaya pops a smile, Kadota resumes with a more threatening tone. "You don't have a life. Can't fake one without messing with others. Can't pretend you're even a real life form without shredding another person's life, a life that is real and valuable far beyond your own."

Izaya's lips immediately drop after he hears this. If one could feel the sting in his heart, one could tell that the smile isn't going to come back any time soon.

"You don't know how to feel. Can't love. Can't cry. Can't smile. And don't say you can, because that's a lie." Ironically, the words Kadota is spitting out, are provoking his own tears to appear. "You're empty. A void. Nothing about you isn't false, isn't pretend. Your so-called love for mankind is just a means to destroy other people's lives. Just. Another. Tool."

Izaya is frozen like a stone, unmoving, and completely silent as words keep flying his way.

When a tear finally slides down Kadota's face, another drop of water joins it on the ground, and that one came form the sky. Within seconds, both men are standing at the center of the park, getting drenched by ice-cold rain, yet for Izaya, it somehow feels warm.

"We spent three whole years, in the same class. That matters not to you, right? Like you've forgotten, disregarded, that period of our lives, in which I forgave every bad thing you did, stood up for you even with the teachers, and fixed up a majority of the mess you left within the school."

Words beg to leave Izaya's throat, but right after the first syllable makes itself known, Kadota speaks again.

"I am scum to you, is that right? Then, ex-classmate of a scum," Even past the rain, one should be able to tell that Kadota is releasing an endless row of tears by now. "stay away from me. From other people...who are scum. Existences you've never met. Memories don't....matter, right? Then leave. Out. Now...."

Ten heartbeats later, and the one to leave the scene, is Kadota himself.

* * *

  _...Present..._

* * *

Izaya brushes a tear from his cheek with his dry, black sleeve. The things Kadota said the night before, struck him harder than a lightning bolt could ever. He insulted him, with good reason, in such a way Izaya could never have imagined it even if a hundred years went by.

It stings, still.

It's petrifying him again, the shock and the weight of those words. The man had left the hospital on his own accord to respond to the latest act of cruelty Izaya displayed towards him. There are other ways he could have approached them, could have used to get his hands on Genji, but **no**. He wanted to make Kadota - and his friends - feel pain.

He wanted them, in a way, to feel regret, for doing something they had no real way of knowing was wrong.

Genji stole money from the Awakusu. His only motive had been greed. It was a sloppy job, so he had little time to escape. First, he sold secrets to an enemy, in order to cause a large-scale conflict, that would distract his co-workers long enough for him to run away.

Sadly, Genji's lack of brain power became his downfall.

Thinking no one was watching him, thinking everyone was paying attention to the enemies then storming the headquarters, he didn't think about security cameras, or even think, that despite the guards having their hands full with the sudden war, that each security camera wasn't recording everything they saw.

Orders were immediately delivered to the distracted guards to return to their posts, since the one secret Genji couldn't sell, because he didn't know about it, helped defend the base against the invasion. The Awakusu have a large army of well-trained, stealth-masters and the moment an alarm was set off, these men dispatched every invader, and made note how they seemed to know where everything in the building was.

This implied that secrets had been sold. When the guards noticed one of the primary safes being open, the executives checked the recordings of every security camera, and in no time, Genji was spotted running away.

In other words, Genji's plan to make himself rich, failed from the moment he formed it.

All that's left now, is finding out what sad fate he is being delivered.

This honestly doesn't concern Izaya though, who has already been paid handsomely for his success. He usually doesn't care when money comes in, as long as it does, but this time, he seriously wouldn't have minded if it never arrived.

It doesn't feel worth it anymore.

Wiping another tear from his face, the second one since he recalled that moment this time, Izaya takes a deep breath, and takes a brief glimpse at the seemingly endless rain. He can almost feel himself choking on his tears, his suppressed ones at least, and for that, he allows himself a glass of water.

He really messed up this time, no?

* * *

 **To Dota-chin** : I'm sorry.

 **To Dota-chin** : Ne, Kadota. Please don't ignore me.

 **To Dota-chin** : Please...Kadota?

 **To Izaya** : What?

 **To Dota-chin** : I'm sorry.

 **To Izaya** : Why?

 **To Dota-chin** : You're my friend.

 **To Izaya** : I don't believe I ever was.

 **To Dota-chin** : You are now. For real.

 **To Izaya** : Does every scumbag have to talk some sense into you during a rainstorm for you to say this?

 **To Dota-chin** : ....no....

 **To Dota-chin** : But I can prove it, that you are my friend.

 **To Izaya** : I rather not.

 **To Dota-chin** : Look, I'll go straight over to Raijin Academy right now and I apologize to Fujimoto-sensei for my bad behavior.

 **To Izaya** : You wouldn't dare.

When no reply came after 20 minutes, Kadota knew he had to go back to his old school and check for himself the liability of Izaya's words. To his amazement, by the time he's there, a bunch of kids, including Izaya's sisters, are crowding around a teacher - who he recognizes as his former scientist teacher - giving Izaya a loud lecture....as said man bows before her, forehead stuck to the tiles.

Kadota watches the entire scene without a sound willing to leave him.

* * *

After the unbelievable incident, Izaya continues to send Kadota 'proof' that he really means his apology. Obviously, after that un-Izaya-like show, it's becoming rapidly difficult for Kadota to keep ignoring him. So, three days after, following seven more humiliating stunts by the man he never knew could turn so sincere, Kadota forgives him.

He said these very words, at that same park, during a fortunately sunny morning.

He wishes he had taken a photograph when Izaya burst into tears in response.

From then on, their broken friendship (or whatever it was) is restored. In fact, it is now stronger than ever. Izaya finally has a proper friend, a person he goes out with to have meals and casual conversations. Things seem to be going smoothly for them at long last. Izaya even purchased him a second phone, despite Kadota already with a new one thanks to Walker's kindness.

Izaya even helped apologize to his grumpy employers, and with that, money has stopped being a problem for the brown-haired.

However...

"Kadota-kun."

While the van of the four vigilantes is parked outside a manga store, a familiar raven-haired approaches a member in the passenger seat. The other two look on with surprised expressions.

"Simon has a discount for fatty tuna. Let's go eat it, ne~?"

Kadota smiles at the suggestion, and feeling his stomach agree as well (since he skipped his breakfast this morning), he nods.

"Alright then." He then turns to his two male friends, who are now looking overly confused. "I'll be back in a moment,"

The pair watch silently as Kadota hops out of the van and walks away with the informant by his side. Russian Sushi isn't far off, about three blocks away, making the pair almost tempted to follow and ensure their friend isn't being lured into some trap. As the thought swirls inside their heads, a squeal breaks them from their silence.

"Dota-chin and IzaIza are having a love affair~!!"

Erika shouts. Both boys then realize the possible consequences of her thinking that, but before Walker can snap the door opened and grab her, Erika takes quick steps backwards and types on her phone, no doubt writing the very words she just said on her super-popular Yaoi blog.

Once finished, Erika raises her arms up in absolute delight, ignorant to the fact that her friends are feeling total dread for failing to stop her.

* * *

"Thanks a lot, Simon."

Kadota says, once the Russian comes to collect their plates. The joyous expression on the man's face shows he is very proud they liked the half-priced delicacy. Besides these two, much of the restaurant is packed with customers, all trying to get at the sushi during this rare, special offer.

The food paid (Izaya's treat), the two close friends then casually walk out of the establishment, only to spot a crowd of eccentric-looking girls just outside, who all squeal the minute they see them. This reminds Kadota very much of how Erika behaves when Shizuo and Izaya are at one of their chases.

Since he is in no mood to deal with this bunch, as they whisper to each other with glistering eyes, Kadota wraps an arm around Izaya and guides him off, not fully aware he should have just grabbed the man's arm, if he really didn't want to hear the second squeal from the truly eccentric group.

Unfortunately, nearly everywhere they go has at least one girl taking a photograph of them or giggling as they walk by.

This makes them both feel very awkward, and thinking he can escape by taking his secret route towards home, Izaya waves his friend goodbye, thus leaving the man to return to his gang. For some reason, by the time he is there, Erika is tied up and mouth tapped at the back of the van, while the other two appear knocked out.

He doesn't disturb any of them as he slips back into his seat, and remains quiet.

* * *

When Izaya invites Kadota to another restaurant, one particularly fancy with expensive food, the latter did not consider the chances of meeting anymore crazy girls. He considered that to be a one time encounter, but gets proven wrong when their view through the glass window gets blocked by nearly fifty squealing females, of varying ages.

The disruption causes the manager to request they leave, and once they are outside of the restaurant, the girls begin following them, taking more and more photographs as they tail the disturbed pair. This scene no doubt draws attention, and it takes Izaya's parkour skills and Kadota's quick running to get away.

They do not rejoin afterwards.

* * *

"Flea?"

To catch his nemesis prancing around like a school girl is not uncommon. To catch his nemesis creeping out girls with funny words is not uncommon. Heck, to catch his nemesis dressed like as a female has happened at least once.

However, to catch his nemesis sitting on a bench, weeping, with a phone in hand, is just too impossible to even imagine.

This is why Shizuo feels dumbstruck one morning, in which a stroll around town abruptly ends with said sight appearing before his very eyes. He's tempted to remove his sunglasses and give his chocolate orbs a good rub, but doesn't when nothing from the previous night indicates a possibility that he's hallucinating.

Not to mention, his curiosity is begging him to talk to the pitiful-looking guy.

Pitiful.

Izaya.

That doesn't sound right.

"Oi, flea."

When he gets no response, Shizuo chooses to follow his curiosity rather than his urge to really clean his eyeballs, and so he sits himself next to the other. When the close proximity doesn't provoke a reaction, Shizuo opts to touch the man, half-expecting his hand to go straight through, but after placing his palm on the man's shoulder, Izaya suddenly wipes his nose.

He noticed.

"Humans are cruel, Shizu-chan."

Usually, Shizuo would retort by saying Izaya is more cruel, but stops himself when the sight before him tells him someone had to be viciously cruel to get Izaya to cry _tears_. Out of genuine sympathy, Shizuo gently rubs the raven's back to soothe him.

It does seem to be doing the trick.

"They think what they want. Say what they want. So cruel..."

Again, Shizuo feels tempted to say that these are the actions of Izaya himself, but he continues to hold his tongue. Instead, he asks, in a gentle voice,

"What happened?"

Izaya turns his hand to show Shizuo the screen of his phone, and what he sees is a growing list of chats, each enthusiastically talking about a gay couple in Ikebukuro. Most have weird smilies while some others have photographs, a majority of them edited. When Shizuo catches a glimpse of an unaltered photo, he sees something he didn't expect.

Kadota and...Izaya.

This photo, quickly disappearing under the endless posting of texts, shows the pair smiling as they walk towards somewhere, their eyes on each other. They look like friends, but these people seem to think otherwise. Before he can say something, the latest post pops up saying...

[I will die if these two don't have sex. I will die! Die! Die!]

To him, that sounds bloody offensive.

And weird.

Gazing back up at the informant, Shizuo can tell he's calmed down quite a lot, but he still looks hurt, almost broken, and too fragile for Shizuo to hate like he always has. Resuming his momentarily paused strokes, Shizuo speaks again.

"You and Kadota are, getting along?"

The only answer he receives is a nod.

"And it hurts you that these strange people think you guys are a couple?"

Izaya smiles a bit at the word 'strange', glad Shizuo sees things like he does. Swallowing down a lump and another hiccup, aware his sorrow is also getting him attention less desirable than Shizuo's, Izaya decides to answer this next question with words.

"I did something bad to Kadota-kun," Izaya says, eyes not yet looking at Shizuo. The blond also makes note how Izaya just used the guy's actual name. "and when he confronted me about it, he said some things that...really made me...well, they hurt."

Shizuo doesn't butt in, doesn't stop stroking the raven as more words are patiently coming out. Everything he is hearing is just about more than he can believe, but he's trying, trying to accept how reality has somehow changed and to his understanding, for the better.

"He taught me a lesson, got me to stop....I've been off my duty as an informant for about a week now."

Shizuo's eyes widen, shock overriding his senses at the words he never thought to hear. This pauses his movement for a moment, which only resumes after Izaya reaches up to wipe his eyes again. It's sensible, he believes, if he just listens and doesn't go all emotional himself. There doesn't seem to be a lie hidden within these words.

Either way, he can always ask Kadota to verify it himself.

"So now we're friends." Another small smile, probably brought on by how touched Izaya is at this fact. "Though I wish I had stayed up to date with the news, the gossip, then I would have realized sooner," He brings the screen of his phone before his eyes, the posts still endless and constant as ever. "what was going on."

"Who started this?"

Izaya finally gazes back at Shizuo, the determination in the other's eyes making him smile again and lose nearly all of his sorrow. He's kind of glad Shizuo is behaving himself, listening to his words like the good samaritan he's always trying so hard to be. It sort of reminds him of Kadota, who has been doing this very job, just far better. It's likely the reason why Shizuo likes the guy so much.

"Who else?" Shizuo looks at him skeptically, and if Izaya wasn't feeling so down, he would have playfully taunted the guy's forgetfulness. "Karisawa Erika."

A vein pops in that instant, anger hastily becoming visible on Shizuo's features. His need to protect and defend the innocent making every muscle ache with a need to _kill, kill, kill._ Izaya can just about feel the rage seething through Shizuo's skin. So occasionally, Izaya gets to see the man direct his rage elsewhere while he's a mere inch away.

When the man stands up, Izaya grabs his wrist, knowing whatever intended action will only end badly.

In other words, jail time.

"Shizu-chan. Don't." Somewhat, the anger reduces, mainly for Izaya's sake. "You can't go attacking a defenseless woman. We need another method."

When the blond reveals a sinister smile soon after, Izaya finally realizes what it's like to see him with his mask on from another person's point of view. Spine-tingling, to say the least.

* * *

His back resting against the durable black motorbike, Izaya and Celty watch as Shizuo continues his rampage of frightening threats and demonstrations of his willingness to carry them out. This is the second day, Shizuo has marched the streets and caused even police officers to wet their pants.

What he's shouting throughout town are mainly insults at what he calls "shameless bitches".

He's saying he will personally attack anyone who has a problem with two ordinary guys having a meal together, saying he will happily murder them if their expectations are not met and life has thus become unworthy. He even adds - from time to time - that he will hunt them down to the ends of the earth if they continue to post nonsense concerning sick imaginations.

While Celty has no clue, and is absolutely dumbstruck as to why Shizuo is doing this, Izaya is fully aware of the reason.

In fact, he can't stop laughing as his 'hero in shinning armor' goes around bullying those annoying rascals or more precisely Erika's followers. Erika herself, meanwhile, is cowering in terror at the monster's constant threats and smashing of objects. She is still besides her friends, two of which suspect the cause of this havoc to be Erika indeed.

Kadota, on the other hand, feels both astounded and touched by Shizuo's actions, and believes Izaya had asked for help.

By nightfall, Shizuo is back home and totally exhausted. To thank him for his hard work, Kadota takes the opportunity the man is asleep to slip some money and a 'thank you' note under the door, before proceeding towards his own place of residence. Izaya instead just sends the man a message, not yet ready to be so openly thankful towards anyone who isn't Kadota.

From that day forward, Kadota and Izaya are able to enjoy their friendship without any hassal. Even if half the town is in ruins and no one is brave enough to arrest Shizuo, the two are glad that things will truly go smoothly...once and for all.

 **To Protazoan** : Thank you...from the bottom of my heart.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Phew~! This....is....gigantic. As usual, I hope all you readers enjoyed it. Forgive me for any grammar mistakes or confusion I might have left in your heads after reading this. Also as usual, thank you for reading~
> 
> As for you, Pen-chan, the Shizuo in this story...is me. I will help you whenever you need it. I will protect you anyway I can. You are too valuable and too wonderful to be mistreated. I love you very much, my dear friend. Please, have a good year, and life, ne~?


End file.
